Pop-up parties

Finding these roving parties is like an Easter egg hunt for club kids

By Andy Gillette, Special to Metromix

March 19, 2008

Easter is one time of the year that makes me jealous of toddlers. I remember how awesome it was to run around on egg hunts with my friends, though on reflection, it seems a bit ridiculous. I was looking for a cheapo plastic egg filled with jellybeans, which I don't even like. But the real fun was in the hunt. The competition, the thrill of the chase, the venturing into unknown territory: This is the stuff of storybook excitement.

This Easter season, I’ve decided to recapture that youthful exuberance with an adult version of the egg hunt. The main differences are that the eggs will be warehouses and secret locations, and the jellybeans will be hundreds of sweaty, dancing kids.  

And so I find myself in the strange and secretive world of roving parties. A party with no location may seem unreasonable to the uninitiated. How do you find it? What's it like inside? Is it hygienic? Is there security? Is there booze? Answering the first question is easy: You just have to know where to look and who to ask. As for the rest, well, it's a roll of the PAAS-colored egg.

Blow Up L.A.
This monthly indie-electro dance party, usually held in a warehouse for 600 to 1,200 people, is one of the biggest, most successful roving parties in town. Because the party isn’t saddled with the restrictions of a standing club’s rules, anything can happen. "Take off your clothes, make out," says Anne Lee, the ringleader of this circus. "We like it when there is a bit of debauchery involved."

Blow Up is always something of a surprise. You never know where you're going to end up or who might be there. And to keep people on their toes, Blow Up chooses a different theme for every party; last month’s was "winter formal." Lee won't divulge specifics, but I have it on reliable authority that the next party (Saturday, March 22) will involve snakes—very big snakes.

Kiss-n-Grind
If the electro scene isn't your thing, there's Kiss-n-Grind, a party that usually goes down the last Friday of the month in various gallery spaces. Rashida is the mistress of the party; she's also Prince's DJ, which explains his frequent appearances. KNG is also DJ-ed by top funk/soul/hip-hop purveyors Garth Trinidad and Vikter Duplaix. It's a rare chance to see DJs of this sort in a place with no pretension or bottle service, but guys must have a lady on their arm for entrance. How else would you be able to Kiss-n-Grind? Go to kissngrind.com to get on the list.

Guerilla Gay Bar
The Guerilla Gay Bar gives us a traveling party of a different breed. Rather than simply throwing parties in different locations, these guys take over someone else's spot. The idea is pretty simple: Gather a bunch of hip young gay guys and show up at a traditionally straight bar en masse. (Past takeovers have been at sports bars Barney’s Beanery and Cock 'n Bull.)  It's like a hostile takeover, only more fabulous. Sign up for more info at guerrillagaybar.com, but note that invitees are alerted only a few hours in advance.